HR: 11:00h
AN: G21E-03 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Oceanic Excitations of Earth Rotation from Model Estimates and Altimeter Observations
AU: * Chen, J
EM: chen@csr.utexas.edu
AF: Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin,, 3925 W. Braker Lane, #200, Austin, TX 78759 United States
AU: Wilson, C
EM: clarkw@maestro.geo.utexas.edu
AF: Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin,, 3925 W. Braker Lane, #200, Austin, TX 78759 United States
AU: Wilson, C
EM: clarkw@maestro.geo.utexas.edu
AF: Department of Geological Sciences, 1 University Station C1100, Austin, TX 78712 United States
AB: We estimate oceanic contributions to polar motion and length-of-day (LOD) variation using outputs from a data assimilating ocean general circulation model (OGCM) and sea level anomalies derived from TOPEX/Poseidon satellite radar altimeter observations over a 9 years' period (1993 - 2001, with steric effects removed using the model). Both altimeter derived oceanic mass variations and data assimilating OGCM estimates indicates that the oceans play an important role in driving the Earth rotational change, especially in polar motion and at intraseasonal time scales. The results from this study show considerable improvement in the agreement between observed polar motion and LOD excitations (after atmospheric effects are removed) and contributions from the ocean, when compared with results from previous studies.
DE: 1200 GEODESY AND GRAVITY
DE: 1223 Ocean/Earth/atmosphere interactions (3339)
DE: 1239 Rotational variations
DE: 4283 Water masses
DE: 4556 Sea level variations
SC: Geodesy [G]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting